NJALA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRE (NARC)

Located on Njala University campus with very strong historical ties between the two institutions, a historical background of Njala Agricultural Research Centre will be incomplete without some reference to the history of Njala University and the USAID-funded Adaptive Crops Research and Extension (ACRE) project, whose infrastructural facilities formed the foundation for the establishment of the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) in 1988 which later became the Njala Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) in 2008. Continue reading

Research Programme Area of Focus

Root, Tuber and Grain Legume Crops ProgrammeRoot, tuber and grain legume crops play a major role in poverty alleviation and improved livelihood for millions of Sierra Leoneans complimenting rice as the major staple food crop. They are widely grown and well-adapted into the farming system. The agricultural sector in Sierra Leone employs more than 70% of the rural population and contributes 50% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Crops within this sector, especially cassava, have been identified as important with the potential of contributing to the achievement of the millennium development goal of poverty reduction as well as meeting requirements of the Pillar II in the poverty reduction strategy paper in Sierra Leone. Root, tuber and grain legume crops fit in well with the recently launched small- scale commercialization programme by the Government of Sierra Leone and focus on value addition, product development and marketing.

Strategic Focus

The Root, Tuber and Grain Legume Crops Programme is coordinated and implemented by the Njala Agricultural Research Centre (NARC). The Programme is expected to enhance sustainable productivity, commercialization and competitiveness of the root, tuber and grain legume crops. In order to do this, the Programme is expected to contribute to the delivery of the overall institutional purpose through the attainment of its purpose of Generating and promoting innovative root, tuber and grain legume crops technologies and empowerment of stakeholders. The Programme shall deliver this purpose through the attainment of the following five strategic results:

Appropriate mechanisms for managing, sharing and up scaling, root, tuber and grain legume crops knowledge, information and technologies established and operationalized.

In order to contribute significantly to the attainment of the overall institutional purpose, the Root, Tuber and Grain Legume Crops Programme shall focus on nine product value chains outlined below. The importance of each product value chain in contributing to the national economic growth and agricultural sector development as well as improvement of livelihoods, income generation and food security shall be determined through a prioritization process discussed in chapter three. The allocation of resources for research shall then be based on the results of the priority setting process. Each of the intervention strategies to be carried out under each product value chain shall be expected to contribute to the attainment of the five Programme strategic results. i: Development and promotion of Cassava product value chain.ii: Development and promotion of Yam product value chain.iii: Development and promotion of Sweet Potato product value chain.iv: Development and promotion of Irish Potato product value chain.v: Development and promotion of Cocoyam product value chain.vi: Development and promotion of Cowpea product value chain.vii: Development and promotion of Soybean product value chain.viii: Development and promotion of Pigeon Pea product value chain.ix: Development and promotion of Groundnut product value chain.